Public
Meeting at DEP Police 1st Precinct in Gilboa

Meeting
to Lead to Better Understanding Between DEP Police and Local Residents

Commissioner Christopher O. Ward of the New York City Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) announced today that the DEP will hold a public meeting
at the DEP Police’s new precinct house in Gilboa, Schoharie County,
on April 14 at 2:00 P.M.

“This is a great chance for Schoharie County residents to become
more familiar with the DEP Police, our mission and our people,”
said Commissioner Ward. “At the same time, we welcome the opportunity
to learn more about the concerns of local residents and ways that we can
serve them better. There is no overriding agenda for the meeting –
the purpose is to get to know the local people who the DEP Police are
sworn to protect, and to help them get to know us.”

Police Chief Ed Welch will be on hand, as will representatives from
the Detective Bureau, Intelligence Division, Canine Unit, Emergency Services
Unit, Scuba Unit and Special Operations Division assigned to the 1st Precinct
in Gilboa.

The DEP Police has over 200 environmental police officers serving in
New York City and nine watershed counties. Charged primarily with protecting
the water supply that nine million New Yorkers rely on every day, the
DEP Police also supplement local police agencies in their day-to-day activities
of community service and public protection.

In 2003 alone, DEP Police were called upon over 250 times to assist
other police agencies in the City’s watershed. They also responded
to over 300 traffic accidents and aided in 97 incidents where medical
assistance was necessary. This was in addition to almost 700 environmental
complaints they investigated while performing their main duties of protecting
the water supply that half the state depends on every day.